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Sct. Catharinæ Kloster

Ribe during the High Middle Ages

- The kingdom's western

  gate

A Bishop See

The Vikings made Ribe so influential that, in 860, the Danish king gave the monk Ansgar, also known as the Apostle of the North, a royal decree to erect a church on the south side of the river and preach the Christian faith in Ribe.

The medieval town continued to expand on the south side of the river and in the last half of the 12th century, Ribe Cathedral was erected in its present form. Parish churches, abbeys for mendicant friars, and a fortification soon followed. Ribe became a twin city: one on either side of the river.


   Between the two parts was built
   one of the largest medieval
   embankments in Denmark.
   "Dammen" is still the main 
   pedestrian thoroughfare.

Ribe was a king's town

The town of Ribe blossomed to become Denmark's only medieval  North Sea Port and the presence of church and royal representatives in Ribe, underscored its high profile status in the Danish kingdom.

The king spent time in Ribe, residing in Riberhus Castle that was built on Slotsbanken, where only a few scattered wall ruins remain.

           Guided tours in Ribe

RIBE – RIBE TURISTBUREAU TORVET 3 6760 Ribe Tlf. +45 75 42 15 00 CONTACT